Disposable power source for providing illumination



, c. 'FRANC 3,522,426

DISPOSABLE POWER SOURCE FOR PROVIDING ILLUMINATION Aug. 4, 1970 Filed Sept. 28, 1967 INVENTOR.

CHARLES FRANC FIG IO FIG. ll I02 Fla l2 United States Patent US. Cl. 240-525 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A disposable power source for providing illumination having a fiat rectangular battery with first and second output terminals. The first output terminal has an L- shape conductor attached thereto and a miniature lamp is secured in a hole in the horizontal portion of the conductor. The second terminal has a conductive retaining rail attached thereto for retaining the vertical portion of a slideable L-shaped conductor. The horizontal portion of the slideable L-shaped conductor is located between the battery and a terminal on the miniature lamp. The slideable L-shaped conductor has a horizontal handle on one end thereof to permit the conductor to be manually moved to make and brake contact with the lamp terminal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with my invention, my unit comprises a lamp socket having first and second terminals, a lamp in the lamp socket, and a flat battery having first and second terminals. Means connect one battery terminal to one socket terminal. A connector for the battery and socket connects the other socket terminals to the other socket terminal when in one position and disconnects these other terminals when in another position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively top, front and side views of one embodiment of my invention;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively top, front and side views of a second embodiment of my invention;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are respectively front and side views of a third embodiment of my invention;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are respectively front and side views of a structure which can be used with the embodiments described above and below; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 are respectively front and side views of a fourth embodiment of my invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a flat rectangular parallelepiped battery 10 having a negative terminal 11 on the top surface thereof and a positive terminal 12 extending from a rear surface adjacent the bottom. First and second lamp sockets 14, each have two terminals. One terminal of each socket is secured directly to the positive terminal of the battery. The other terminals of these sockets are secured to opposite ends of a horizontal electrical conductor 16 which makes contact with the top of a vertical flat conductor 18 extending along the rear surface of the battery and having a pivotable or hinged conductive portion 20 which can be moved into or out of contact with terminal 12 and acts as a switch. A lamp 22 is disposed in each socket whereby the lamps are lit when the switch is closed (portion 20 is pressed down) and are dark when the switch is open (portion 20 is released).

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 an L-shaped con- 3,522,426 Patented Aug. 4, 1970 ductor has a vertical leg 30 connected to the positive terminal 32 of a flat battery 34 and has a horizontal leg 36 having holes into which sockets 14 fit, each socket having one terminal connected by the L-shaped conductor to terminal 32. A second L-shaped conductive member has a horizontal leg 38 which can be moved up or down into or out of contact with the other (bottom) terminals of the sockets. A vertical leg 40 of this member fits slidably into vertical rail 44 to be retained thereby. Vertical rail 44 is connected to the negative terminal 42 of the battery so that a negative potential is provided to vertical leg 40. A short horizontal length 46 at the bottom end of leg 40 can be manually slid up and down, thus closing or opening a switch to light or darken lamps 22 in the sockets.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a fiat vertical sheet 50 having cut out portions 52 and a section 54 which can be swung out horizontally has one surface (except for cut outs) coated with a conductive layer or film. Two scoring lines 56 and 58 divide this layer into two electrically separate conductive areas identified at 60 and at 62 (slanted line shading). A battery 64 is supported on the sheet with its positive terminal 66 connected to area 60 and its negative terminal 68 connected to area 62. Battery 64 can be slid forward or backward to close or open the circuit. Section 54 has two holes supporting sockets 14, one terminal of each socket'being connected via area 60 to terminal 66 and the center portion of 64 being connected both by area 62 to terminal 68 and by fastener 70 to a conductive clip having ends disposed below the other (bottom) terminals of the sockets. When the fastener 70 is secured, clip 72 completes the circuit and energizes the lamps.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a flat circular disc battery has one terminal 88 on its bottom surface connected to a vertical leg 82 of an L-shaped conductor. The horizontal leg '84 supports a socket 14 with a lamp therein. A vertical conductor 86 secured to the other battery terminal '80 can be moved toward and away from the socket to make or break the circuit as before.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a hollow container having a peripheral lip 102 with an adhesive coating 104 with a removable protective strip 106. The container has compartments which can be shaped to receive any of the units described above. Then the strips can be removed and the entire container with inserted unit can be secured to a card, ornament or package for use. Pressing the card or ornament at a desired spot will light up the unit. Other securing means, pins and the like can be used instead of coating 104.

In the figures, the dotted circle indicates a reflector 23 which can be used. The batteries shown can be used to operate more than two lamps if desired, and all supports can be modified to accommodate more than two lamps.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the drawings, my protection is to be limited only by the terms of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A disposable power source for providing illumination comprising;

a flat rectangular battery having first and second output terminals,

an L-shaped first conductor having its vertical portion secured to said first battery terminal, said first conductor including at least one hole disposed in its horizontal portion,

miniature lamp means having a first terminal secured in at least one of said holes,

a second L-shaped conductor having its horizontal portion disposed between said battery and said first conductor for selectively contacting the second lamp means terminal, and

a conductive retaining rail for slideably retaining the vertical portion of said second conductor, said rail being connected to said second battery terminal, said battery being the support for said first and second L-shaped conductors.

2. The power source as recited in claim 1 wherein said L-shaped first conductor is constructed from flat metal.

3. The power source as recited in claim 1 wherein said each of the holes of said first conductor threadably engages said lamp means.

4. The power source as recited in claim 1 wherein said second L-shaped conductor additionally comprises a handle horizontally disposed on the end of its vertical portion to permit said second conductor to be manually moved to make and break contact with the second lamp means terminal to light and darken said lamp means respectively.

5. The power source as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp means is dimensionally narrower than the thickness of said battery.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1918 Drufva 24010.66 4/1935 Blake 240--10.66 3/1941 Roskam et al. 24010.61 XR 8/1911 Bowles.

11/1941 Van Dyne Pell 40132 XR 1/1942 Kaufman -2 24010 XR 8/1952 Pope 40132 7/1954 Root et a1. 24010.61 3/1958 Leika 40-1522 9/1965 Brown 240-10.65

FOREIGN PATENTS 11/ 1913 Germany.

11/ 1949 Australia.

4/ 1921 Great Britain. 1/ 1923 Germany.

20 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner R. P. GREINER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

